Summoning, The

This epic dark fantasy sees the start of a new series of supernatural stories, set in the shadow land and takes the reader into a dark world of mystery and ancient magic.

Adam Parker is a young archaeological student working on an historical site in an ancient Scottish forest. When he finds a mysterious artefact, he is unintentionally drawn towards it and yet has no reason to understand why he feels so strongly about the connection – however, it is a sign that Adam’s life as he knew it, is about to change forever, and his summons to the shadow place is about to fulfil his destiny. When his

The story starts off fairly innocuously but as with all horror, there is an underlying darkness which helps to keep you on the edge of your seat. The strands of the story are cleverly woven together so that everything starts to come together and as the modern and the ancient worlds start to interweave, the two worlds collide into a believable fantasy. The added inclusion of a romantic triangle between Adam and two of his archaeological colleagues adds an interesting dimension to the story and watching how they all fit into the bigger picture is fascinating.

What follows is a creepy and decidedly scary horror story, a genre at which this author excels, and who skilfully holds the reader in the palm of his hand. Reminiscent, at times, of the early work of Phil Rickman, whose work I enjoy, this story starts off slowly, and then builds to a crescendo but which ultimately leaves the ending ready for the continuation of this shadowy story in future books.